How to become an Airfield Operations Specialist

Official title: Airfield Operations Specialists

Also called: Airfield Operations Specialist, Airport Operations Agent, Airport Operations Coordinator, Airport Operations Officer, Airport Operations Specialist, Flight Follower, Operations Agent, Operations Coordinator, Operations Officer, Operations Specialist

Ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. Duties include coordination between air-traffic control and maintenance personnel, dispatching, using airfield landing and navigational aids, implementing airfield safety procedures, monitoring and maintaining flight records, and applying knowledge of weather information.

Main tasks

• Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
• Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
• Conduct inspections of the airport property and perimeter to maintain controlled access to airfields.
• Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
• Initiate or conduct airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
• Manage wildlife on and around airport grounds.
• Coordinate communications between air traffic control and maintenance personnel.
• Perform and supervise airfield management activities, including mobile airfield management functions.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Airfield Management.
• Apprenticeship: Operations Resource Flight/Jump Management.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $56,850 a year The middle half earn $42,000 to $77,340.
• About 15,300 people work in this job now, and about 16,500 are projected by 2035. (+7.8%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Air Traffic Controllers
• Commercial Pilots
• Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
• Flight Attendants

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Airfield Operations Specialist?

Ways in include: Airfield Management.

How much does an Airfield Operations Specialist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $56,850 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $42,000 to $77,340.

Is an Airfield Operations Specialist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 8% by 2035, from about 15,300 to about 16,500 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Airfield Operations Specialist?

Not always. 42% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Airfield Management.

Will AI change the work of an Airfield Operations Specialist?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.